Widener spent more per resident in 2022 than 84% of similar cities
Widener’s town government spent $198,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $815 per resident. That is its newest year reported to the Census Bureau. Water and other utilities ($90,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Widener is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$815 per resident in 2022: more than 84% of them
Widener’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($815 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $353, and the middle half spent $179–$636. Widener spent more than 84% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($45,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Widener itself left out).
About $815 per resident a year, or $2.23 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 40%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Widener reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau (2023 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $225 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.54% of the home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Widener’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Widener’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Widener →
Who’s in charge in Widener
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time town employee for every 243 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (243).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Forrest City School District
Widener’s K–12 school district, shared with Caldwell, Colt, Forrest City, Madison. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $13,567 per pupil, $6,740 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Arkansas districts overall: 16% local, 70% state, 14% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Widener’s votes are counted by county
Arkansas reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Widener alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are St. Francis County’s results.
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat49.4%2,953 votes
Donald J TrumpRepublican48.7%2,909 votesOthers: 2.0% (117 votes).
Most votes in St. Francis County: Kamala D Harris
Arkansas: Trump 64.2%, Harris 33.6%
100% of Widener lies in St. Francis County. Every 2024 race in St. Francis County is on the county’s page.
St. Francis County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Widener.
- 1Your townTown governmentLocal officials aren’t on record yet.
- 2Arkansas HouseState representatives
- 3Arkansas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Arkansas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Widener’s government
Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.
Questions about Widener’s government
How much does Widener spend per resident?
About $815 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $815 was more than 84% of 181 Arkansas cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Widener?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $225 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.54% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.55% across Arkansas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see the town’s assessor.
Who runs Widener’s government?
We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Widener yet.
How did Widener vote in 2024?
Arkansas counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Widener alone. St. Francis County, where 100% of Widener lies, voted Harris 49.4%, Trump 48.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Widener?
1 full-time and 1 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $3,964 (about $47,568 a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Widener in the state legislature?
State Senate District 10 (Ron Caldwell) and State House District 37 (Steve Hollowell). The House district also covers 12 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Widener’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →